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Labor's woes continue after Greens speech

Labor's political woes have piled higher after the Australian Greens castigated the government for violating their historic agreement and a senior minister warned MPs against plotting a leadership change.

Greens Leader Christine Milne gave the federal government a dressing down for "walking away" from its signed deal with the minor party in return for its support in the hung parliament in 2010.

Labor is accused of siding with the mining industry by delivering a watered-down mining tax, allowing mining in Tasmania's Tarkine and overseeing a push by unions to make coal seam gas development easier.

"By choosing the big miners, the Labor government is no longer honouring our agreement to work together to promote transparent and accountable government, the public interest or to address climate change," she told the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.

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The senator said the minor party would deal with the government "beyond the agreement" for the remainder of the current parliament, which faces an election on September 14.

But while the Greens are angry, they will still support supply bills and oppose no-confidence motions.

Senior government ministers said nothing much would change, particularly in terms of getting government legislation through over the next seven months.

The government rejected Senator Milne's claim Labor had reneged on environmental issues.

Climate change minister Greg Combet said the senator was doing a bit of "product differentiation".

"It is the government that has made the major environmental reforms," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"We are the ones who brought in a carbon price successfully."

Treasurer Wayne Swan said the Greens wanted to abolish the mining industry.

"They don't understand the role it plays in jobs and growth," he told reporters at the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) national conference on the Gold Coast.

Government leader in the house Anthony Albanese said the Greens were political opportunists.

"The Greens political party have ... a parasitic relationship with Labor, attempting to gain credit for initiatives which are Labor initiatives, " he told reporters in Sydney.

AWU national secretary Paul Howes said Senator Milne was having a "boo hoo" moment.

He downplayed the importance of the Greens vote, even though Greens voters have in the past directed preferences to the ALP.

"I'm one of those who's never thought that being associated with the Greens helps at the polls," he said.

In the past fortnight, Prime Minister Julia Gillard's government has faced criticism over the design of its revenue-challenged minerals resource rent tax and the dumping of its budget surplus promise, as two polls pointed to a resounding coalition victory at the election.

As former prime minister Kevin Rudd has raised his public profile, Ms Gillard again finds herself the subject of ongoing leadership speculation.

Cabinet minister Simon Crean warned MPs against trying to change leaders, so close to the election.

"The Labor party model in changing leadership every time there's a bad poll is broken and discredited," he told reporters in Canberra.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he's focused on presenting a positive, credible alternative and not the polls.

"The other side of politics is focused on its own survival," he told reporters in Sydney.

Senator Milne also noted Labor's recent woes.

"The Greens will not add to the instability that Labor creates every day for itself," she said.